Kawasaki KLE 500 Adventure Bike Unveiled

The KLE 500 has been presented as an adventure tourer for running errands around town, cruising on the highway, or venturing on longer tours

Kawasaki KLE 500 has finally been unveiled by the brand via a digital event last night. Priced at $6,599 (Around Rs 5.80 lakh), it will initially go on sale in the United States while other global markets are likely to be announced soon. The KLE 500 adventure bike comes loaded with an array of advanced features while powered by the same 451cc engine as the Ninja 500. Positioned between the Versys-X 300 and the KLR650, Kawasaki KLE 500 was first teased at the EICMA 2024 and it took almost a year to finally break cover in production-ready form.

Sitting on a high-tensile steel trellis frame, the KLE 500 flaunts rally-inspired styling with elements such as tall adjustable windshield, raised short fuel tank, and sleek side covers. The adventure bike rides on 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels which are fitted with IRC GP-410 tires. In addition, there is a standard aluminum skid plate to protect the engine and muffler.

The KLE 500 ADV motorcycle is introduced with an elevated fat-type handlebar and slightly foot-forward footpegs to ensure an upright riding position. The buyers can also avail panniers as well as a top case to carry their luggage on long tours. Available in Metallic Carbon Gray/Ebony colour scheme, it also gets reinforced hand guards, split-seat setup and all-LED lighting.

As for features, Kawasaki KLE 500 comes with a full LCD instrument panel which shows a bar-style tachometer alongside the speedometer. It also displays several other important information in the form of odometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, dual trip meters, remaining range, current and average fuel consumption, coolant temperature, clock and service indicator. A special mention goes to Kawasaki’s Economical Riding Indicator which regularly updates on fuel consumption.

The riders can pair their smartphone with the instrument cluster via Bluetooth and access a plethora of features through the RIDEOLOGY THE APP MOTORCYCLE application in the form of Navigation, Incoming phone calls and emails, and Voice command. The suspension duties are carried out by 43mm KYB inverted front forks with 210mm travel and new Uni-Trak rear unit with 200mm of wheel travel.

The stopping power comes from a 300mm steel front disc and 230mm rear disc brake which work in tandem with the switchable dual-channel ABS. At the heart, the KLE 500 has the 451cc parallel twin engine with an assist and slipper clutch. The brand has not released the official power and torque figures but in other Kawasaki models, it makes 50.3 bhp at 10000 rpm. The wide range of genuine accessories include a top case with bracket and passenger grab bars, panniers with mounting brackets, and a rear carrier for additional cargo, a large windshield, hand guards, grip heaters, USB Type-C charging, ERGO-FIT pillion seat, center stand and LED fog lamps.